Design graduates confident of finding paid work within a year

Design students who graduated in 2015 are confident about finding paid employment within the creative sector, according to a new survey. 

The survey, conducted for the 30th edition of the New Designers exhibition, polled 240 exhibitors at the show selected from universities and colleges across the UK.

It found that that over half (55%) of this year’s young designers who were polled are confident of finding paid employment within the creative sector within a year of graduating, up from 45% in its 2014 survey.

Expectation of employment rose to 89% when including those who think they will find unpaid work experience within the sector within the same period (34%).

Confidence in employment was reinforced by the belief, of 83%, that they will be earning at least £25,000 within five years, up from 73% in 2014. A self-starting attitude was also found, with almost half of those surveyed (48%) seeing themselves as self-employed in five years time, either running their own creative business (34%) or as a freelancer (17%).

Meanwhile, some 95% believe that studying a creative subject has equipped them with transferrable skills which will allow them to find employment in a closely related sector. Fashion (62%) and consumer goods (52%) were given as most desired sectors to work in followed by entertainment (32%), digital media (30%) and manufacturing (25%).

Almost two thirds (62.5%) said that they have already undertaken at least three months’ industry experience before completing their course.

Isobel Dennis, director of New Designers, said: “The results from our 2015 survey of design graduates are encouragingly buoyant. They reflect an improved job market and could be seen as a sign that creative businesses are beginning to actively tackle the issue of unpaid internships.”

New designers will see over 3,000 emerging designers exhibit at the Business Design Centre in London on June 24 to 27, and July 1 to 4.